Pet food ingredient supplier BENEO surveyed 2,500 dog and cat owners in the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany and China about how inflation and rising prices have influenced purchasing decisions. of pet food in August 2023.
Nearly 90% of surveyed pet owners feel that pet food prices have increased in the past year. Among respondents, 1 in 6 switched to a cheaper pet food brand because of rising prices. Those who did not switch focused on taking advantage of promotions and buying larger packages. When purchasing pet food, survey respondents consider price to be less important than ingredient quality, nutritional value, taste and health claims. More than half of respondents are willing to pay a premium for pet food with health-promoting ingredients supported by empirical evidence.
Digestive health claims in pet food marketing
“Pet parents are very concerned about their pet’s health and the survey results reflect this, with more than 4 in 5 owners considering their pet’s health to be as important as their health,” wrote Beneo market analysts. “The link between their pet’s digestive health and overall health is more widely recognized by pet owners, with more than 3 in 4 cat and dog owners understanding that digestive system has a positive influence on many aspects beyond the gut, such as bone condition, mental and physical well-being and the immune system. Therefore, it is not surprising that the on-pack is said to be the most likely to influence the purchase of food products by pet include ‘naturally promotes digestive health’ and ‘easily digestible’.”
More than 1 in 3 respondents said they feed their pets food with marketing claims about digestive health support. Almost half of surveyed pet owners associate prebiotics with gut health.
The most effective digestive health claims:
- digestive comfort and well-being
- naturally promotes digestive health
- supports a healthy and balanced digestive system
Other important marketing claims for pet food
As with human food trends, protein quality and content are important for 7 out of 10 respondents. Maintenance claims are considered by 4 out of 5 pet owners. More than half of cat and dog owners consider plant-based proteins to be better for the environment. For example, more than 80% of pet owners associate fava beans with environmental sustainability.
“Natural and high-quality vegetal proteins are an important resource for manufacturers, allowing them to respond to the interests of pet owners, while developing nutritious pet food recipes animal,” Beneo analysts wrote.
